Leclerc: Esports and video games allow me to express my personality

In these endless hours of quarantine, Charles Leclerc has given itself a mission: to entertain its fans. For that, he arranges to meet them on the Twitch site, world leader in video game streaming. 

This Amazon subsidiary launched in 2011 allows gamers and simracers to broadcast their gaming screen while filming their reactions “In Real Life” (“in real life” to use the appropriate jargon).

In the style of YouTubers, Leclerc, whose confinement look includes a comeback of the bandana in his hair, can also invite Internet users to join him to discuss and answer the questions they send via a written chat. 

The platform thus opens a unique window on the intimacy of the stars of the Formula 1 modern, far from the corseted environment of race weekends with a precise schedule and where a nanny constantly tells them how to behave.

« I love spending time streaming on Twitch, admitted the person during a press conference organized online Thursday morning. I never would have seen myself doing it before but I take great pleasure in it. For the people who follow me, it's the best way to continue to accompany me and discover my true personality. 

During Formula 1 weekends, the atmosphere is different, you have pressure, etc. I want to entertain the fans at home while keeping myself busy. I try to find ideas to entertain them, to take their minds off things during this period because not everyone is lucky enough to have a simulator at home. ». 

• Double winner in Virtual GP

Leclerc discovered the world of streaming at the same time as he entered the world of simracing via the official F1 2019 game. The latter serves as support for the Virtual Grands Prix organized by Liberty Media to compensate for the postponement of the start of the season sine die because of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

In 2 participations, the fuoriclasse of Maranello displays a perfect track record with a pair of pole positions and as much success. Behind the good-natured atmosphere of these esports events, the competitive spirit is never far away and Leclerc recognizes that these online races allow him to be patient before the start of the season.

« I train quite a bit, he admits. I haven't had the game for long but I play it a lot, about 5 hours a day. It's just a game of course, it's not the same as real competition but we want to perform well in everything we do and I want to win. 

The behavior of the car will never be faithfully reproduced because we do not feel the G forces for example. But it still helps me maintain my reflexes every day. The driving feeling is different but it is the closest to reality that we can have in current conditions ». 

• « Show who I am »

Apart from these “official” events, the young generation of F1 drivers do not hesitate to meet online for fun and a good cause. In just a few days, Leclerc joined forces with Lando Norris (McLaren), Alex Albon (Red Bull Racing), George Russell (Williams), Nicholas latifi (Williams), and Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) to organize a charity championship and raise more than 72 dollars (000 euros) intended for the fight against COVID-66. 

When he's not grinding the virtual tarmac of F1 2019, Leclerc is having fun with his friends Pierre Gasly, still confined to Dubai, and the pilot MotoGP fabio quartararo on shooting games like the famous Call of Duty or fun and addictive Fortnite. 

In a few weeks, the Monegasque has become a recognized simracer, an avid gamer, and an influential streamer. With the risks that this entails in the event of a verbal slip-up. The pilot NASCAR Kyle Larson learned this the hard way after making racist comments during an online game on iRacing. In two days, the American lost the support of his main sponsors and was fired by his team, Chip Ganassi Racing. 

Is Leclerc aware of these pitfalls? Does he watch his language when he and his little comrades are chatting nicely live? Isn't this another form of discipline to impose on yourself to control your image?

« We are always very respectful, assures the young man. I try to be as true to my personality as possible. But it's true that we have to be careful, it's social networks, everyone can see what we do. Afterwards, it helps me to stream while playing, it allows me to show who I am ». 

An F1 crack, coupled with a 2.0 influencer therefore.